Neuropsychologic method in diagnosis of mild dementia in elderly and senile patients

• Published in: Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova Vol. 98; no. 2; p. 34
• Main Authors: Roshchina, I F, Zharikov, G A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Russian
• Published: Russia (Federation) 1998
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alzheimer Disease - complications; Alzheimer Disease - diagnosis; Alzheimer Disease - psychology; Dementia, Vascular - complications; Dementia, Vascular - diagnosis; Dementia, Vascular - psychology; Female; Humans; Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery; Male; Middle Aged; Severity of Illness Index
• ISSN: 1997-7298

Clinical neuropsychologic investigation was performed in 95 patients of elderly and senile age with mild dementia: 20 individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD), 25 patients with senile dementia of Alzheimer's type (SDAT), 25 patients with vascular dementia (VD) and 25 patients with combined dementia of vascular and Alzheimer's types (DAT/VD). Clinical diagnosis of mild dementia was performed according to ICD-10. Neuropsychologic study was based on the theory and method of A.R. Luria. Syndrome of disorder of high psychic functions (HPF) in patients with mild SDAT was characterised by pathology of frontal cerebral structures and by significantly less defects of profound cerebral structures. According to the examination results the group of patients with mild AD was divided into 2 subgroups: 1) patients in which syndrome of HPF disorders was determined by pathology of parietal-temporal and profound cerebral structures and 2) patients with dysfunction of profound and frontal cerebral structures. Symptoms associated with profound cerebral structures were the main ones in patients with mild VD. Syndrome of HPF disorder included in mild DAT/VD symptoms connected with subcortical and profound brain structures as well as with frontal structures too. Besides, there were also defects in posterior frontal and parietal structures of the brain.